Ran into this Western Diamondback while hiking this weekend....

jasonp said:
nice find and shot. Actually your snake is a Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) a cooler looking cousin of the Western.
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I wasn't positively sure, but I like your ID better. It didn't scream western DMB to me either. Going snake hunting (catching) this weekend, great post!
 
Here are a few more

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i-gT7KDBK.jpg


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Outstanding pictures! That looks like one mean SOB. :)
 
Something is wrong with its lower jaw. It should be sealed perfectly to the upper jaw. And I have come across westerns very similar to that color and a buddy of mine has collected what he was sure were hybrids between the two.
 
I've been hunting and photographing snakes for 30+ years and have come across a few like this. I think many like this are escapees from raptors. Raptors peck and rip at the head and on several occasions that I've seen them killing snakes, they have had the very tip of the snakes "face" or jaw in their mouths trying to rip it apart. I wish I could find some of the photos that I've taken but they look very similar. Just a guess. Another hypothosis I've heard is that these crotes (rattlers) sometimes try and eat their prey before they are completely dead. The problem is that they eat their prey head first and mice, rats and squirrels have some serious chompers causing the snakes to get their "lips' chewed off in the process of the death fight.
 
762 shooter said:
Something is wrong with its lower jaw. It should be sealed perfectly to the upper jaw. And I have come across westerns very similar to that color and a buddy of mine has collected what he was sure were hybrids between the two.
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I thought something was odd with his jaw...in some of the blurry pics his right side looked a little deformed.
 
I didn't notice it until shooter mentioned it, I just knew its face looked strange. In the first pic, it does look like a section of its lower jaw has been broken/bitten off as jasonp mentioned.

Screwdriver, do you have a pic that zooms in on its face?
 
Abbott said:
I didn't notice it until shooter mentioned it, I just knew its face looked strange. In the first pic, it does look like a section of its lower jaw has been broken/bitten off as jasonp mentioned.

Screwdriver, do you have a pic that zooms in on its face?
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I'll look tonight.....
 
Last edited:
Here's a zoom on your first pic...

Rattle001.jpg


The fact that the picture is still so clear is a testament to your photography skills. :)
 
Great series of photos. Looks like this guy has had to earn his living. Hard to say how he was injured but looks to be well healed from your photos. One of the reason I love snakes. Tough little critters.
 
I don't mean to steal any thunder from the OP, but I ran into this fella' on my way up Mt. Tammany at the Delaware Water Gap. If I'm not mistaken, this is a timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus).

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Caught about 14 snakes this weekend, one Eastern Diamondback Dead on road, 4 copperheads, rest all nonvenomous
 
Wow, those are soem great pics!

Joezilla said:
Caught about 14 snakes this weekend, one Eastern Diamondback Dead on road, 4 copperheads, rest all nonvenomous
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Pics bro, this thread needs more pics!

Here's a little vid a friend took of me catching a Northern Watersnake over the weekend at Marcelo's daughter's party at a local park.

[youtube]KVEy0kVPN28[/youtube]
 
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